Assignment 2

GENIE AND THE FERAL CHILDREN:

Without society, we are confused. We don't know what to do, or how to react to others. We wouldn't have any common sense, because we weren't exposed to society. We wouldn't have ideas, opinions, or beliefs because we wouldn't know where to start. We wouldn't know right from wrong, or what's good or bad. We would be extremely lonely. A great example of this is Genie and the "Feral Children." If we were exposed to society before the age of 10, we might have a chance of learning, but nothing is guaranteed.

The looking-glass self theory created by Charles Horton Cooley is a sociological concept that a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others. The role taking theory created by George Herbert Mead is also a sociological concept representing the development concerned with explaining what forces cause people to develop the expectations they do of their own and others' behaviors.

Genie and the feral children's story do complete Cooley and Mead's work. They each were exposed to different environments so each story had a twist of their own on them. They all represent how different a person or child can act due to the change in their environment. We develop a sense of self due to what we are exposed to, and these stories show just that.

Nature: What we are exposed to and inherit from our parents and family. An example would be eye and hair color. Nurture: What we are exposed to in the environment around us. An example would be having teachers to teach us. If you ask my opinion, one is not greater or more correct than the other. We need both nature and nurture to become the people we are today. Every person inherits some traits from their parents and family, and everyone is exposed to some kind of environment that they may adapt to. Both factors are important and necessary in the growth of a person.